Audioboook Sync: SIXTEEN FREE Young Adult AUDIOBOOKS: (2 per week over the summer)

SFFaudio Online Audio

Overdrive Media Console

AudiobookSync.com is offering “FREE audiobook downloads of Young Adult audiobooks and Summer Reading Classics this summer! Watch for a new pair of audiobooks each week from 6/23/11 – 8/17/11.” That’s 16 FREE audiobooks. Unfortunately, like last summer, the files are not straightforward right-click downloads. The good news is that the files themselves are in the MP3 format and don’t expire (even though the offer does).

First, you will have to instal a piece of software called “Overdrive Media Console” and of course you must “take a moment” to read the 2000 word EULA (and presumably have finished law school). Next you’ll need to |CLICK HERE| to get the first audiobook (and follow the instructions). That will get the first audiobook downloading. To get the second audiobook you’ll need to |CLICK HERE| and do the same. There is a query regarding your country of residence. Ignore it (unless you want to risk not getting your audiobook).

Be sure to take careful note where the files are set to download to. I sent mine to a custom folder on my desktop.

Here is the first pair, available between June 23 and June 29:

SCHOLASTIC AUDIO - Shiver by Maggie StiefvaterShiver
By Maggie Stiefvater; Read by Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux
MP3 Download – Approx. 10.75 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Scholastic Audio Books
Published: 2009
ISBN: 0545165067
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever

BBC RADIO 3 - William Shakespeare's Romeo & JulietRomeo & Juliet
By William Shakespeare; Performed by by Douglas Henshall, Sophie Dahl, Susannah York, and a Full Cast
MP3 Download – Approx. 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: AudioGO / BBC Radio
Published: 1999
ISBN: 9780563553441
Douglas Henshall, Sophie Dahl and Susannah York star in Shakespeare’s passionate story of doomed love. BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard. With the intimacy of radio the full beauty and meaning of some of the most lyrical lines ever written can be truly heard: tenderness and passion, betrayal and bigotry are brilliantly evoked as the tale comes to its tragic conclusion. The play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre, and the accompanying booklet includes a scene-by-scene synopsis, full character analysis, brief biographies of the leading actors and of Shakespeare himself, as well as an essay from the producer on their interpretation of the play. Revitalised, original and comprehensive – this is Shakespeare for the new millennium.

Future audiobooks released through the same method:

Available June 30 – July 6:
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow |READ OUR REVIEW|
The Trial by Franz Kafka

Available July 7 – July 13:
Where The Streets Had A Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Passage To India by E.M. Forster

Available July 14 – July 20:
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Beowulf by Francis B. Gummere [Trans.]

Available July 21 – July 27:
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Available July 28 – August 3:
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Rescue: Stories of Survival From Land and Sea by Dorcas S. Miller [Ed.]

Available August 4 – August 10:
Immortal by Gillian Shields
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Available August 11 – August 17:
Storm Runners by Roland Smith
The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Posted by Jesse Willis

Prometheus Unbound: Review of The Syndic by C.M. Kornbluth

SFFaudio Online Audio

Prometheus UnboundHere is a very interesting, but highly ideological, podcast review of (and apology for) Cyril M. Kornbluth and his 1953 novel The Syndic. It is an interesting listen, but as I mentioned, it is extremely narrowly focused – seemingly like a sermon to the adherents of some sort of religion called “libertarianism.” There is no audiobook available at the moment, but Wonder Publishing has an ebook edition available.

|MP3|

Incidentally, Groff Conklin‘s March 1954 Galaxy magazine review of the novel describes The Syndic as “remarkable both for its inconclusiveness and for its surprisingly philosophical depth.”

The Syndic by C.M. Kornbluth

The Syndic by C.M. Kornbluth

The Syndic by C.M. Kornbluth

Posted by Jesse Willis

Everything Is A Remix

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here’s a really terrific project that illustrates, in a very succinct way, the history of creativity. It’s thesis is that there is a fundamental through-line which connects all human creation and that is to copy, modify and mix (or remix) the creations of the past to make something new.

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

One example, not cited in the series so far, is this thread of remixing:

Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward (1888) -> David Butler’s Just Imagine (1930) -> C.M. Kornbluth’s The Marching Morons (1951) -> Mack Reynolds’ Looking Backward From The Year 2000 (1974) -> Robert A. Heinlein’s For Us, The Living (written in 1938, published 2003) -> Mike Judge’s Idiocracy (2006)

In fact, we recently posted an audiobook reading of C.M. Kornbluth’s The Marching Morons, which took inspiration from the 1930 film Just Imagine. Robert A. Heinlein’s first novel (which went unpublished until 2003) was also a response to this movie. But Just Imagine itself likely took its inspiration from Edward Bellamy’s immensely popular 1888 utopian novel Looking Backward 2000-1887. Science Fiction writer, Mack Reynolds, wrote a couple sequels to Looking Backward but he wasn’t alone – in fact more than a dozen sequels, responses and inspired works followed. The history of Science Fiction is a flowing and knotted tapestry of scientific discovery, theory, ideology, adventure, and drama that cannot be summed up with any simplistic bag with the names like “inspiration” or “genius.”

Posted by Jesse Willis

Geekscape: interview with Simon Pegg

SFFaudio Online Audio

GeekscapeSimon Pegg is the latest guest on the Geekscape podcast (#215). Pegg talks about his memoir Nerd Do Well as well as Green Lantern, Star Trek, Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Super 8, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek 2, The World’s End, Community and Spaced.

|MP3| (video available too |M4V|)

Podcast feed: http://pod.geekscape.tv/Geekscape-Audio.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Posted by Jesse Willis

2010 Mark Time and Ogle Award winners and honorable mentions

SFFaudio News

The Mark Time AwardThe 14th annual Mark Time Awards and Ogle Awards, presented at Convergence 2011, June 30th, in Bloomington, MN, are from “a wider range of countries than ever before.” Both awards are juried. The Mark Time Award is for distinguished achievement in Science Fiction audio theater production. The Ogle Award is presented for Fantasy and Horror audio theater production. The awards presentation will take place at Convergence 2011, June 30th, 2011 in Bloomington, MN. Six of the eight producers are scheduled to be in attendance as well as three of the five judges.

Mark Time Award:

GOLD
The Truth: Moon Graffiti
Written & Produced by Jonathan Mitchell
New York, NY

SILVER
The Cleansed, Pilot Episode
FinalRune Productions
Written & Produced by Fred Greenhalgh
Alfred, ME

HONORABLE MENTIONS
1918
Aural Stage
Written by Richard Lovejoy
Producers, Matthew Boudreau, Samantha Mason
Buffalo, NY

Brad Lansky And The Anti-Starc
Protophonic
Written by J.D. Venne
Producer, Dieter Zimmermann
Cape Town, South Africa

Ogle Award:

GOLD
Whoever Wishes
Tekdiff
Written & Produced by Cayenne Chris Conroy
Minneapolis, MN

SILVER
We’re Alive, Chapter 17, “There Might Be Others”
Zombiepodcast
Written by Kc Wayland
Producers, Kc Wayland, Shane Salk
Orange, CA

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Soul Survivor
Sonic Society
Written & Produced by Jack. J. Ward
Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Witch Hunter Chronicles
Audio-epics
Written and Produced by Domien de Groot
Deurne, Belgium

Posted by Jesse Willis

Luke’s Creative Podcast – Luke Burrage’s discussion with Gregg Margarite

SFFaudio Online Audio

Luke's Creative Podcast
My friend Luke Burrage (best known from the Science Fiction Book Review Podcast) is one of the most creative people I know. Which is why I was so disappointed when I heard what he’d titled his new podcast about creativity.

He called it, get this, Luke’s Creative Podcast.

I think he could have vastly improved upon the title by, at least, adding in some irony. He could have called it Luke’s Creatively Titled Podcast!

Worse, Luke has described Luke’s Creative Podcast as “Discussions about making cool stuff and doing cool things.” I teach my students that they should avoid the use of the words “stuff” and “things” in their writing as they are such non-specific and unevocative words. But I suppose an exception can for be made here, for Luke. If you’re as universally creative as Luke (he’s a juggler, author, photographer, musician, podcaster, YouTuber and probably a half dozen more things), those two words “things” and “stuff” are the only words that could cover all the cool stuff he’d like to talk about.

The show’s format is also, I think, stolen at least a bit from SFFaudio’s own. Luke doesn’t “interview” his guests he has discussions. And I think that was the right choice too.

But seriously, I’ve been listening to Luke’s Creative Podcast and have decided that the latest show was the perfect one to mention here. See, in show #6 Luke talks to another of my super-creative friends, Gregg Margarite. Gregg is the LibriVox.org and iambik audio narrator who is an occasional guest on SFFaudio Podcast readalongs. Sez luke:

Gregg Margarite is creative in many different fields, and so am I. We didn’t get into the specifics of any creative field, but had a great discussion about being someone trying to make their way in a world that likes to put people in boxes.

The podcast episode, |MP3|, is accompanied over on Luke’s site with some SFFaudio Podcast style shownotes. Luke has creatively stolen that style from us. It looks, and reads, great!

Podcast feed:

http://www.lukeburrage.com/creative/feed/podcast

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Posted by Jesse Willis